SpaceX blasted off at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT) from its seaside launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida; symbolically entering into the new age of fully private-built space-flight...-Image space.com: "SpaceX Launches at Canaveral"
This adds to the hopes that SpaceX will be the first non-GOV spaceship to carry people to orbit!
Based, conveniently near my (Ca) home! :D
-COTS: Crew Transportation: VIEW.
Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin's projection & forecast Read.
NOTE: Dr. Griffin set map & committed NASA to purchase commercial serv. once available! Bravo SpaceX; & thanks Dr. Griffin
SpaceRefOnOrbit —June 04, 2010 — History in the making today as SpaceX Falcon 9 soars to lofty heights on its maiden voyage reaching orbit with the Dragon capsule. Learn more at nasawatch, and spaceref.com.
Today's successful test launch of the 178-foot (54-meter) tall liquid-fueled booster, likely means that the next time the rocket blasts off, it will head straight to the space station to practice delivering supplies...
From Space.com: ##
The Falcon 9 vehicle already has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to haul cargo to the International Space Station... Article.
SpaceX writes, "A Commercial Crew program would support full utilization of the Space Station, reduce U.S. reliance on Russia to launch American astronauts, and allow NASA to focus its resources on exploration beyond low-Earth-orbit (LEO)."
-[View Image] Falcon’s liftoff weight is said to be 15% that of the Space Shuttle’s; with a payload to LEO, 40% that of the Space Shuttle's; and this is a 2.5 x improvement based on this metric alone...
